Monday December 31, 1894

Prof. Turner here. Talked over with him question of measurement of astrographic plates, also publication of M^r Thackeray's paper on R.A.'s of Polaris in Memoirs R.A.S.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... It's nice to see Turner, the Royal Observatory's Chief Assistant at the start of 1894, put in an appearance on the last day of the year - because, of course, this is the last post for this blog as we say bye-bye to IYA 2009. I hope those of you who have been following it have enjoyed these glimpses into the past of the ROG. It's been interesting and useful for me, at least. My energies are now being diverted into the Cambridge/NMM Longitude Project: look out for a new blog there starting later in the year. And please note, Sobel enthusiasts, Longitude means more than Harrison!

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Happy new year - 1895 and 2010!

Saturday December 22, 1894

The shutter of the Astrographic Dome was blown off into the court at 11^h 32^m/ The wind was blowing 50 miles per hr, the pressure was 30 lbs per sq. ft. The head-piece of the dome fell inside, just missing M^r Davidson, who was printing reticles. The falling shutter struck the roof of the T.C. room breaking a few tiles and coping of the N.W. of the roof. It then fell on to the porch leading into the T.C. room, breaking one pane; it bent the corrugated iron covering in the front court & fell into the court. Niblett & Woodman at once covered the instrument with light tarpaulin, while Simmons procured some heavy tarpaulin from Mess^rs Mowlem & Co. Six of their men, who were engaged on the building of the New Altazimuth with Cross & Barnard firmly lashed this over the opening.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

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RH says..... Oh dear, disaster strikes again just as Christie has left for his holidays. What is great about this is that not only do we have a photograph recording the incident, but that Dyson tells us that the falling piece of shutter nearly hit Davidson, one of the Observatory's human computers. It's just as well that it missed as this is the very same Davidson who went on to become an Assistant and to head the famous eclipse expedition to Sobral in 1919 at the same time as Arthur Eddington was in Principe, in an attempt to provide observational proof of Einstein's theory of relativity. Eddington, who had been a vocal supporter of Einstein, and Dyson, who had suggested the idea and organised the whole, generally get the credit for this work, but it was the photographs taken in Sobral under Davidson that provided the usable data. Davidson, Eddington and Dyson were co-authors of the 1920 paper on their results.

Friday November 30, 1894

Col. Wheatley (Bailiff of Parks) called with M^r Jordan (Super^t Greenwich Park) with reference to improvement of west boundary of Obs^y from point of view of Park. He proposed to access[?] portion of garden between existing fence & west wall of Lawn & west side of garden house. I told him that questions of modification of boundary should be considered as a whole & explained to him the modification I should propose round Physical Obs^y and on east side. It was understood that he would raise the question of the alteration of west fence.

Sir H. Thompson dined with me at R.S. anniversary dinner.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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D^r Dyson made an observation of the Sun’s Transit across two plumb lines to determine the Meridian line of the New Altazimuth. The result agreed closely with the line obtained by M^r Nash by Magnetic Observations. The two plumb lines were 37^ft apart. The Centre of the Sun & the second limb crossed the line 5^s too soon: giving an error of 2^s. M^r Nash’s line was compared with Col: Tupman’s & agreed well.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

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RH says..... Christie's plans for the Physical Observatory had always required that a small parcel of land from the Royal Park be brought within the Royal Observatory's boundary. His tagging of this issue onto the question of improving the western boundary around Flamsteed House is decidedly sneaky.

30 November, St Andrew's Day, is the anniversary of the Royal Society's foundation in 1660: 2010 (or technically 1 December 2009 to 30 November 2010) will be a celebration of the Society's 350th anniversary.

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Lieutenant Colonel Tupman, mentioned by Dyson, had had a connection with the Royal Observatory in 1874, having organised one of the transit of Venus observing expeditions, but archives from the Observatory in Cambridge show that he continued observing at Hillfoot Observatory in Harrow.

Tuesday November 20, 1894

Three wires of Altazimuth reported broken by M^r Bryant. The plate holding them was sent to Mess^rs Troughton & Simms.

The position wires of the 28ⁱⁿ Micrometer reported broken, by M^r Lewis. M^r Niblett told to repair them.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

Sunday November 18, 1894

A gentleman named M^r Holmes fell down in a fit just outside the Observatory at 10 [o]’clock. He was carried into the Chief Assistant’s room, and attended to by his wife & sister. As the Astronomer Royal was away, M^r Dyson obtained what help he could from the Astronomer Royal’s house. M^r Johns was sent for D^r _______who stayed with the man till be could be moved at 3 o’clock.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

Friday November 9, 1894

R.A.S. Com^ee & Council meeting beginning at 2.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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Mr Swasey called – Gas failed. Mr Simmonds turned it off in the Chronometer room.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

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RH says..... The report of the RAS Council meeting can be found here. The meeting included a paper by Rev W. Sidgreaves on 'Solar Observations at Stonyhurst College Observatory', prompting a discussion on spectroscopic observations of sunspots and a long response from E. Walter Maunder, the head of the Royal Observatory's solar observation programme. There is also mention of Thomas Lewis's observations of a binary star with the 28-inch telescope. Responding to this, Maunder said that Lewis's observation was "a testimony to his skill and keenness of sight as a double-star observer; and it may also be regarded as satisfactory as showing the defining-power of the new refractor at Greenwich." In support of this point he added that on the previous Monday night he had observed Mars's satellites with it: "There was not the smallest difficulty in seeing and measuring" them.

Wednesday October 10, 1894

Arranged for light hinged cover to 28ⁱⁿ O.G. as suggested by M^r Lewis.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... It is interesting to see Thomas Lewis, whose official responsibility was the Time Department, being involved with the 28-inch telescope in this way. Under the previous Astronomer Royal, George Airy, staff seem to have been discouraged from taking an interest in instruments and activities outside their remit.

Tuesday August 21, 1894

A man called from Mess^rs Troughton & Simms about the Position of the 28 Inch Micrometer. I shewed him the method of illumination used in the Astrographic Telescope. He had been unable to obtain a dark field and illuminated wires in the way suggested by the Astronomer Royal, and wished to use some prisms to reflect the light. M^r Lewis & I discussed the matter with him and agreed that M^r Simms should do it as he liked & alter it subsequently, if necessary.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

Thursday August 9, 1894

M^r Cowdry came as Foreman of Works to superintend work on the new buildings.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Monday July 30, 1894

Arranged mounting of reflecting prism for spectroscope on adapter carried by telescope. This work was put in hand by Niblett.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... The spectroscope used on the 28-inch telescope was designed by Christie, though as we see here it was the indispensable Niblett who undertook the practical work. The spectroscope can be seen in use in the photograph if you click on the link above.

June 1894

M^r Crommelin reported that the levels of the Altazimuth were very erratic. M^r Crommelin, M^r Niblett & I examined it. The top pivot & bearing of the central axis seemed worn & rusty. Reported it to the Astronomer Royal. – Pivot turned, & new bearings made by Mess^rs Troughton & Simms.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

Visitation Day: Saturday June 2, 1894

Visitation Day

Meeting of Board at 12 noon adjourning about 1.20 for lunch & inspection of Observatory meeting again 3.30 to 4.30.

351 Visitors including 47 ladies – too great a crowd. Former computers &c who ask for a card every year may be struck off next time. Plans of Obs^y & Grounds?? On scale of the lithographed Plan in ‘Greenwich Observations’ to be prepared & put up in prominent posⁿ with places of principal instruments &c marked. Arrangements to be made if possible to admit Visitors in batches only to Ball Lobby, Chronometer Room, Great Equatorial (staircase) & other places where there is likely to be a block. The Altaz. & Sheepshanks might be locked up, only visitors who specially ask to see these instr^s being taken up there. More milk wanted for the chocolate, owing to increase in number of Visitors. Copies of Report to B of V. not received till 1.15. 50 advance copies should be supplied in future for use of B of V. at meeting at noon. Sir Ughtred K. Shuttleworth (Sec^y of Adm^y) went round Observatory.

Dinner at Criterion at 6.30. Only 26 present.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Visitation day: 300 visitors including 50 or 60 ladies. There was rather a crush on the staircase leading to the Great Equatorial. The Chronometer room was crowded most of the afternoon. At times the 28 Inch Dome, the Longitude Pavilion, & the new South Wing were crowded. Very few visited the Lassell Dome or the Sheepshanks Equatorial. 30 or 40 went up to the Altazimuth. It will be well to consider whether the doors of the Chronometer room and Great Equatorial had not better be shut when about a dozen people are in the room. The computer in charge of the Water Clock might see to this.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

Saturday May 26, 1894

Kept as Queen’s Birthday

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

Friday May 25, 1894

The Upper & Lower Computing rooms were cleaned previous to the Visitation.
Afternoon. A half-holiday was granted by the Astronomer Royal in recognition of the excellent way the computing had been kept up to day.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

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Went to Deal in afternoon returning Sunday

Observatory closed this afternoon & tomorrow, Saturday, (Queen’s Birthday)

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William Christie, Astronomer Royal

RH says..... Readers may be interested to know that staff working at the ROG are still given a day off in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday (24th May). Since this Monday was a bank holiday, my four-day weekend has resulted in a slight delay in putting up posts.....

Monday May 21, 1894

Adjusted tilt of 28ⁱⁿ O.G. pushing out S.W. part of crown lens slightly. Writing report to B. of V. Mr H. Outhwaite entered on his duties as Clerk.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Wednesday May 16, 1894

R.O. Hockey Club meeting in Octagon Room. Commenced writing Report to Board of Visitors.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

RH says..... The Royal Observatory Hockey Club was founded in Christie's time and, as this series of later photographs shows, existed at least into the 1930s. This photograph, which identifies the several members of staff on the team, is interesting for showing both H.H. Turner and Frank Dyson, the successive Chief Assistants. Both seem to have been keen players and Dyson's daughter wrote:

"[Dyson] became an enthusiastic member of the Observatory team, playing half-back where he acquired a name for speed. Most of the younger men on the staff played hockey, though the Club was not very vigorous till Dyson joined it and galvanised it into greater activity.... Sometimes there would be practice games with other local teams, such as the Blackheath Proprietary School. Largely owing to Dyson's energy and keenness, the Observatory team challenged the various hockey clubs of South London. It could hold its own against any of them."

Wednesday May 9, 1894

Meeting of Antarctic Com^ee of R.S. at 11.30. Saw M^r Jenkins at Adm^y about vacancies in staff.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

RH says..... The Antarctic Committee was actually a joint committee of the Royal Society and the Royal Geographical Society, founded after the RGS president, Sir Clements Markam, began to promote an Antarctic voyage. The RS seems to have been a bit ambivalent and it was to take Markam several more years before funding and enthusiasm reached the necessary levels and the British National Antarctic Expedition of 1901-04 could go ahead.

Saturday May 5, 1894

The Porter (McManus) fell in a fainting fit on stone step of his Lodge cutting his head badly. I was not informed of it till after he had left for home about 2pm.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Monday April 30, 1894

M^r Crisp came down to discuss final plans for new Altazimuth building. Went to Adm^y about reorganisation of Staff & appointment of successor to Le Brun. Crown lens of 28ⁱⁿ O.G. released from constraint (on E side) and reversed to photo-position.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Monday April 23, 1894

Photographs taken by M^r Maunder with the 28ⁱⁿ Equatorial on Apr 21 shewing that an eccentricity of the image is produced by a tilt[?] of the crown-lens: it was readjusted by M^r Niblett

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

RH says..... Maunder is best known for his solar photography, but this is a reminder that, as head of the Photographic and Spectroscopic Department, his responsibilities extended elsewhere. G.E. Niblett, the Observatory's mechanic, was evidently an indispensible member of staff. Elsewhere Maunder wrote that Niblett's "skill is in constant requisition in devising, repairing, or keeping in order the many mechanical arrangements upon which so much depends". He was also in charge of the Observatory's electric lighting. The image shows his workshop in the New Physical Observatory, although this building was still incomplete as of 1894.

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